By Peter Murgatroyd

The Select Committee inquiry into 21^st century learning environments and digital literacy currently underway is a critical opportunity for the library profession in New Zealand to contribute to the shaping of the future of our schools and to highlight the significant contribution that the library profession and school libraries can make to enhance learner outcomes through the creation of dynamic future focused learning environments.

The preamble to the terms of reference for the inquiry defines ‘learning environments’ as both physical and virtual spaces:

“The term ‘learning environment’ suggests learning happens in a place and space such as a school, a classroom, or a library. However, while much of 21st century learning takes place in physical locations, in today’s technology driven world, a learning environment can also be virtual, online or remote. The purpose of this inquiry is to investigate and provide recommendations on the best structures, tools, and communities, in both rural and urban New Zealand, that could better enable students and educators to attain the knowledge and skills, such as digital literacy, that the 21st century demands of us all.”

The terms of reference for the inquiry include:

•  facilities, learning spaces and ICT infrastructure;
•  the impact of the rollout of Ultra-fast broadband on teaching techniques and processes;
• the need for investment in additional resources or training for educators and learners;
• exploration of opportunities for collaboration;
• issues of equity of access and the digital divide;
• the impact of increased digital literacy on learning.

The 2012 Horizon Report highlights the paramount importance of critical information literacy and the need for our students to be able to make sense of and critically assess the credibility and value of information in an environment where information is everywhere. It also challenges schools to remove the institutional barriers that may impede progress on embracing new technologies and pedagogies.  These themes are reflected in both the focus and urgency of the Inquiry.

The inquiry challenges us to reflect and redefine our understandings of the school library and the role of the school librarian within the context of a transformed information landscape, shifts in teaching pedagogy, and the necessity to ensure that our students acquire the knowledge and skills, such as digital literacy, that the 21^st century demands. 

Submissions can be made online via a web form on the Inquiry webpage .

Writing a submission for an inquiry is different from writing a submission on a bill. As there are no specific clauses to comment on, it is important that you use the terms of reference of the inquiry as a guide to presenting your views.

• The Parliamentary guide to making submissions identifies five basic principles to follow when making your submission
•  Present a clear and logically developed argument;
• Be simple and direct. Do not write more than is necessary;
• Be accurate and complete;
• Include all relevant information;
•  Restate your recommendations in a conclusion at the end of the submission or an executive summary at the beginning. Consider listing your submission’s recommendations or summing up its main points.

Submissions closing date 11 May 2012

Further reading

• New ZealandParliament:  Make a submission on the Inquiry into 21^st century learning environments and digital literacy
• Procedural guide: Making a submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee.
• NZ e-Learning Planning Framework
• School library futures
• Manifesto for 21^st century school librarians
• 2012 Horizon Report

By Rob Finlay

Sometimes teachers and librarians feel they are alone in the challenge of teaching reading and creating readers.   But schools are not alone: Pasifika students also learn to read in other contexts: at home, church and the neighbourhood.

The Ministry of Education urged teachers to be better informed of out-of-school literacy practices. Dr John G Dickie, School of Education Policy and Implementation, at Victoria took up the challenge. The result is his doctoral thesis, “An investigation of sites, uses and practices for literacy in the lives of Pasifika students”, 2008.

Cultural contexts for literacy are important.  Dickie contrasts two disparate views of literacy, as social practice and as skills.   This research focuses on literacy as social practice. We in education need to make effective links between school cultural contexts and other cultural contexts. 

He explores four different settings- school, church, family and the neighbourhood- from the perspective of Year 7 and 8 Samoan students, supplied with cameras and journals, and interviewed along with adults.  The strongest overlapping of values was between family and church where the use of Samoan language was valued. “The most common conflicts were those related to popular culture” where neighbourhood sites were at odds with the other three settings.

The insights into Samoan history and the experiences of Pasifika children in New Zealand are valuable.  Until missionaries arrived Samoa was an oral society.  Pastors’ schools and Sunday schools mixed the oral and written, with a strong focus on imitation, memorisation and performance- tauloto- in learning to read.  These practices, as anyone who has attended a White Sunday (Lotu a Tamaiti) service will know, are retained in New Zealand.  For teachers or librarians the main purpose of telling stories and reading aloud might be for pleasure or learning, but Pasifika may have different goals such as transmitting cultural values and faith, or developing oral language.  An approach which respects Pasifika perspectives will be more effective in achieving the educational goals of the school.

Some implications of this research for school libraries are:

Bilingual education and texts bring together the experiences and values of home and school.  Even if the school does not have bilingual classes, the library should have resources in Pacific languages.  So hold on to those Tupu books and other resources in Pacific languages, display them face-out on shelves or in boxes labelled by language.  Enlist the help of parents and older children to read them. Help make reading in Pacific languages acceptable for the children.

Use Home-School Partnerships to support literacy.  Engaging families in reading over the summer holidays and joining programmes like Reading Together ™ are very useful activities which involve the library.  Use the search term summer on this blog and Create Readers  to read more about schools that encourage family summer reading contracts including one school that opens the school library in January.

Librarians significantly influence the literacy of Pasifika students: encourage Pasifika students to hang out in your school library, and make it a meeting place between parents and school.  This allows students to engage in literacy and learning with your support. It enables you to share messages about reading.  Recruit parents to read aloud in Pacific languages. Learn about the families’ perspectives and practices in reading and learning. 

Help to develop a good relationship between students with the local public library, as a place where homework combines with after-school relaxation and socialisation.

School libraries which link with out-of school literacy experiences, provide resources for Pacific languages, and provide Pasifika cultural contexts are providing a great learning experience for their students.